Where should I be looking?

[Dina89]

 
What do you think?!

[clairel]

your minor almost certainly won't help you...i did a concentration in legal studies for my major and doubt it made a difference (in fact, even knowing the cases didn't give me an advantage in class since the analysis is so different).

a 3.39 will be balanced out well by a 170+ lsat, but don't submit your applications until you get that score. if you get a 173, you're almost certainly assured a place somewhere in the 7-14 range of t14 law schools (duke, uva, michigan, penn, berkeley, GT, cornell, etc.) and you have a decent chance at columbia, chicago, or nyu. but as everyone says, you could end up extremely disappointed by your score.....so study a lot and plan your application strategy after scores are released. 

[mtbrider59]

Definitely focus on locking in that 170+, cause if the plus is high enough you could probably pretty much write your own ticket. Outside of the T14, you should also think about where you want to practice after law school and check out the top regional school for that area as well as your grades/LSAT would almost certainly qualify you for admission there as well.

[nealric]

Until you have an LSAT score down on paper it's all speculation at this point. Quite a few people who practice consistently above 170 don't deliver on test day (myself included).

I wouldn't put too much stock in undergrad law courses. I breezed into an A in undergrad conlaw but only ended up with a B+ in Conlaw II in law school (which was approximately the same material as conlaw in undergrad). It really is a whole different ballgame in law school. 

[Dina89]

Until you have an LSAT score down on paper it's all speculation at this point. Quite a few people who practice consistently above 170 don't deliver on test day (myself included).

I wouldn't put too much stock in undergrad law courses. I breezed into an A in undergrad conlaw but only ended up with a B+ in Conlaw II in law school (which was approximately the same material as conlaw in undergrad). It really is a whole different ballgame in law school. 

I dont intend the legal studies minor to be something to make myself more appealing, although i felt like it may since its not a regular undergrad minor but literally taken with paralegal students and 1 and 2nd yr law students, so the challenge essentially- but the material is what i like, but I'm a bit curious... did taking the constit. law class you took, help you at all when you took it again in law school? I guess the preparation would make it feel like an added bonus on top of general interest.

[Dina89]

Thanks a lot everyone for your responses, its definitely helpful
any other opinions etc are def welcome
and thanks again to everyone that replied.

[nealric]

did taking the constit. law class you took, help you at all when you took it again in law school?

No, it didn't really help at all. The stuff I remembered was so superficial that it didn't matter at all. It's hard to explain exactly, but the approach was radically different even if the material was basically the same. Go ahead and take some pre-law classes if you find them interesting, but don't expect them to accurately reflect what you will experience in law school.

[Dina89]

did taking the constit. law class you took, help you at all when you took it again in law school?

No, it didn't really help at all. The stuff I remembered was so superficial that it didn't matter at all. It's hard to explain exactly, but the approach was radically different even if the material was basically the same. Go ahead and take some pre-law classes if you find them interesting, but don't expect them to accurately reflect what you will experience in law school.

I understand that makes sense, thanks a lot for your input.

[The Harvard Guy]

With that LSAT score, you should shoot for the sky.  Apply to Harvard Law School.  Seriously.  I had a 3.8, and my LSAT score was way lower than yours, and I got into Harvard.  I recommend taking the LSAT in June.  It may be too late for that (not sure when the deadline for signing up for that is), but taking it in June ensures that your score will be reported by July, and, once you apply in the fall, your file will be complete much sooner.

Apply to the top 15 law schools, and don't leave Harvard out.